The present invention relates to bird feeders and more particularly, relates to improvements in tube bird feeders.
The practice of feeding birds both during winter and year around is growing as people derive pleasure in having birds visit the feeder which is usually located close to the house of the user. Over the years, many different types of feeders have been developed, ranging from straight tray feeders on which the bird feed is placed to various types of containers having feed access openings therein.
The most basic bird feeders and the most inexpensive usually comprise a cylindrical tube, closed at the bottom and having feed access openings in the side wall and equipped with a removable cover. Perches usually extend through diametrically opposed apertures in the side wall of the feeder and are retained by nuts or caps or by means of a press fit.
More complex feeders have squirrel proof features and these feeders, due to the mechanisms required, are substantially more expensive.
One problem which has begun to receive increasing attention is the question of wild bird health. In particular, it has been found that many bird feeders are a source of contamination and the resulting spread of disease among the wild bird population. This is frequently due to the fact that the bird feeders are dirty, both from bird droppings and other sources. Rancid seed from exposure to the elements is also a major problem. Naturally, this could be overcome by regular cleaning of the bird feeder, but most commercially available bird feeders are not designed to be readily cleaned.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a relatively inexpensive bird feeder which can be easily assembled and disassembled for cleaning purposes.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a bird feeder comprising a seed container having a side wall and an opening at the top thereof, at least one feed access opening in the side wall, a seed port structure having a seed baffle removably connected to the side wall proximate the feed access opening, and at least one perch member, the perch member being removably secured to the side wall such that the perch member locks the seed port structure in position.
The feed container may be of any desirable configuration, although conventionally, a cylindrical configuration is utilized. However, it will be understood that it is well within the skill of one knowledgeable in the art to fabricate the container in various configurations including rectangular, square, oval, etc. The feed container is preferably formed of a transparent material such that visual access may be had to the contents of the container. Various suitable transparent plastics are known in the art.
The cover structure is sized to fit over the open upper end of the feed container and again, many conventional types of covers may be utilized. The cover may be locked to the container by different means including using a screw threaded engagement or alternatively a hanging member may be utilized on which the cover will slide. Needless to say, it is desirable that access can be gained to the container from the top in order to replenish the feed within the feed container.
The bottom of the feed container is closed in order to maintain the bird feed within the container. Again, while many different bottoms may be utilized, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a base sized to fit within the container and which base may be designed to receive a seed catching tray/baffle as will be described herein with respect to the preferred embodiment.
As aforementioned, feeders provide feed access openings in the side wall of the feed container. Typically, these feed access openings are provided with a seed port structure having a baffle located above the feed access opening and extending downwardly inside the tube to prevent the seed from falling out.
According to the present invention, there is provided a seed port structure for each feed access opening. The seed port structures are removably secured to the side wall such that they may be removed for cleaning purposes. While it will be understood that different means of securing the seed port structure to the side wall may be utilized, in a preferred embodiment each seed port structure is held in place by means of a perch member.
The perch members, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, are adjustable in length. By using adjustable length perches, the bird feeder can be adjusted to either accept or not accept larger birds.
The perch member preferably extends through the seed port structure and is screw threadedly engageable with the side wall of the bird feeder. The perch member will thus act as the element which secures the seed port structure to the feed container side wall.
Preferably, in one embodiment, the side wall of the feed container has an aperture to receive the screw threaded end of the perch member and which aperture is sized to act as a mating screw threaded portion. In other words, at least a portion of the aperture is sized to have a diameter less than the diameter of the screw threads of the perch member and equal to or slightly larger than the root diameter of the screw threaded portion. The screw threads are designed to have a pitch which will assure proper engagement of the screw threads with the side wall.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, the screw threaded end of the perch member engages a perch guide portion of the seed port structure in a screw threaded manner and merely extends through the side wall of the feed container.
The bird feeder of the present invention is designed to be easily assembled and disassembled to facilitate and encourage regular cleaning of the same. The parts can be placed in an ordinary dishwasher and then reassembled.
The bird feeder of the present invention also provides vent openings located at both the top and bottom. This will permit and encourage passage of air through the seed container which will help to dry out any moisture and thereby prevent spoilage of the food. The vent openings will also permit cooling of the inside of the container to prevent the build-up heat from solar energy and which heat would again increase the spoilage of the feed. Thus, by providing vent openings located at both the top and the bottom, convection currents will occur upon the heating of the interior of the feed container. The hotter air will escape through the top vent openings permitting cooler air to enter from the bottom vent openings and also the feed access openings.